It only took a few minutes to sterilise the blade.
“Hold him fast, gentlemen,” the doctor said, placing the serrated edge of the saw above the mutilation. “Find something for him to bite down on. I don’t want the children hearing what’s going on.”
With the tourniquet tightened, the gag in place, and patient greatly subdued, the doctor begun to saw through Marcus’s skin. He was just able to withstand the pain at first. But soon the blade started to cut through the muscle and sinew that held his mangled arm in place. No amount of resolve could counter his pain. An agonised scream erupted from his core. His teeth sank into the wooden spoon that had been put in his mouth, but even that wasn’t enough to stifle his cries. The pain was intense, beyond description.
His head felt light now, as if no longer willing to accept the reality of his anguish. He embraced the urge to pass out with open arms. Darkness encompassed him like a loving mother who could no longer stand by and watch her son endure this torment. He stepped into the shadow of his own consciousness and felt no more.
CHAPTER 29
The smell of boiled ham drifted past Hyde’s senses as she walked toward the dining room. The smoky, salty aroma brought back many happy memories of her mother’s cooking. The visions of joyful times caused her to tear up. She wiped her hands over her face to dispel any waterworks.
Her eyes locked on Jas’ as she entered the dining area, which resembled an army mess hall. Although the teen tapped the seat beside her with emphasis and smiled, her overall mood was one of sadness. Hyde hurried over and sat between Jas and Aggie. A plate full of meat sat in front of her and the accompaniments made their way around the table in single file, everything from peas to cauliflower cheese was on offer. Someone had worked very hard to make this happen.
As she ate, her focus fixed on two men who were arguing in the corner. If she had to guess, it was most likely a cockfight to determine who was going to take charge while Marcus was incapacitated: Major Clarke or John Cummings, the group’s patriarch. I know who it should be, but I guess we’ll see.
~
Hyde gathered herself up after a restless sleep, had a quick shower, and dressed in the clothes she’d set aside: A fresh pair of cargo pants, a long-sleeved, olive green top and some clean underwear. Once changed, she headed to see Marcus.
She entered the kitchen and walked over to the bench where Marcus lay unconscious and entirely alone.
“Doctor?” Her voice cracked as she shouted, her mind full of worry.
The doctor practically ran into the room. By his red face, the old boy clearly wasn’t used to exercise. “What is it? What’s so urgent? Has he passed?”
Passed? He’s not dead! I can see his chest moving.
“Did you know he was unconscious?” Hyde asked.
“Of course I did. He passed out after the first couple of strokes of the blade. We have nothing for his pain until we hit London. Unconscious is the best way for him to be.”
“What about food? He needs food to keep him fighting until we get there.”
“Sorry, my dear, but food is the least of his worries at the moment. Shock, infection, even a clot are the things we have to watch for. When he does wake up, I’ve found some protein shakes in amongst the ration packs. You’re in charge of feeding him.” The doctor began to walk away. “Leave him to rest, he’s a strong man, if anyone can come back from this, it’s him. You need to look after yourself, so you can look after him. Go and get something to eat before we move out.”
She nodded and left Marcus to the doctor’s care.
~
There was a lingering smell of bacon and eggs in the air, which Hyde couldn’t resist. On the final approach, she changed her pace to a slow gait and headed straight for the tantalising aromas. Once she had reached the mess, she looked for Jas, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. She felt responsible for Jas, who had wormed her way in Hyde’s heart, adopting the position of her little sister. Now more than ever she felt the urge to keep an eye on the teen until Marcus was back to strength.
At times, the seven years between the two women had felt too wide to reach a mutual understanding. Hyde was more travelled; and Jas had always had her dad to see to it she was taken care of. But at times like this, the gap between them became almost invisible.
After another glance around the mess, Jas was still nowhere in sight. Something started to feel off, causing her blood to run cold. Suspicion buzzed in her mind as she set out for the spot where Marcus had collapsed, hoping to find her there. The silhouette of a small figure came into view when she entered the corridor.
Jas looked to be drowning in gloom. The vision of her sitting cross-legged and staring at the floor brought pity to the surface, and thoughts of how she felt when she lost her family to the bombs. Hyde walked up beside her and slid down the wall, pulling her into a hug. Jas’s head landed on her chest, and heavy sobs shook her body.
“I’m sorry, Jas. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you. It’s hard for me as well... But I have resolved to stay strong—if not for my own good, for you father’s. That what he needs from us at the moment. Our strength will lift his spirit.”
“I know. But it’s so hard. I don’t even know if he’s going to make it. I can’t bear the thought of losing him.”
“I understand your fear, but know this—your father will be okay. He’s one of the strongest men I’ve ever known.”
Jas nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Pride brought a small grin to Hyde’s face as she absorbed Jas’ response. She took it as her cue to move the conversation forward. “We’ll be leaving soon. Let’s get a quick bite to eat before the opportunity escapes us.”
Jas rose to her feet and gripped Hyde’s outstretched hand.
“Have you got everything you need from the store?” Hyde asked as they headed back to the mess hall. “Water, food, etc.? We won’t be stopping until we hit the capital.”
Jas gave her a sideways look, then nodded.
~
Hyde and the others were gathered at the entrance of the super-sized bomb shelter, awaiting instructions. Marcus and Judd had already been taken out to separate vehicles. The doctor approached Hyde and Jas, looking as though he was ready to find a bed and pass out. Hyde couldn’t help but wonder if he had allowed himself any sleep since the surgery. He came to rest and addressed them both.
“Marcus is awake and stable, but he’s still incoherent, and in a great deal of pain. Oh, and he was most insistent that you both travel with him. He says he wants to make sure you keep out of trouble. For some reason, he doesn’t seem to trust either of you.” The doctor joked.
Hyde tried not to laugh as she considered the amount of trouble she had got herself into since meeting up with Marcus and his daughter. Even Jas appeared to have seen the funny side of the doctor’s statement.
The soldiers split the survivors into two groups. The ATVs could carry up to thirty people, but with Marcus taking up one bench and Judd and his guards, another, there was only room for fifteen more people. The children and the infirm would ride, and the men, women and military personnel would walk. Some were resentful of the fact that the prisoner got to ride and they didn’t, but it was necessary to keep him at close quarters.
CHAPTER 30
Half way through the uneventful and slow journey, a joint decision by the major and doctor was made to take a small period of rest for food and water, rather than sticking to the original plan of journeying straight through to London. Loughborough was at the perfect distance. The last signpost they passed suggested that eight miles remained before they hit the outskirts of the town, much to the passenger’s relief. If nothing else, they needed a good stretch... and it would give the walkers a chance to catch up.
The group and their gun-toting escorts finally arrived on the outskirts of Loughborough. The adult passengers groaned when they climbed out, stretching and trying to wake up their tight limbs while the children jumped down with overcharged zeal
and engaged in a game of tag.
Jas leapt down with the others, saying she was going to find John and give him an update on Marcus’s condition. Hyde stared out the back of the vehicle, watching Jas walk off into the distance, smiling as she thought about how kind Jas could be without even realising it. Marcus stirred behind her and she turned around. He looked so helpless, writhing and twisting against the restraints holding him to a makeshift stretcher. With every fibre of her being, she wished to take his pain away; to help him; to do something to reduce his suffering. But all she could do was watch his face contort with pain. Her heart felt broken as she moved closer to the stretcher to try and stop him from damaging himself. The amputation, although cauterised, was still raw, and Hyde could see that he was struggling to maintain any decorum. His breathing was shallow, almost desperate. She leaned into him and placed her weight across his chest, avoiding the damaged arm. Grabbing both of his shoulders, she looked deep into his eyes.
“I know this is easy for me to say, but you need to calm down,” she said. “We’ll be able to get you sorted properly once we hit the hospital in London.” A smile crept on her lips, which seemed to calm Marcus’s senses, as his gaze softened. She leaned in closer to him and placed a kiss on his forehead, running a hand through his damp grey hair while the other supported her.
~
Closing his eyes and taking in the moment, Marcus smiled to himself. The warmth of Hyde’s small kiss sent a shiver down his spine. The pain of his injury seemed to fade for a fleeting second. But the feeling was broken by a booming voice, harrumphing. Marcus twisted his head to look toward the back of the vehicle. Light hit a broad-shouldered figure from behind, making it almost impossible to recognize who had interrupted his moment of reprieve. Marcus squinted, and his vision adapted to the light. He was soon able to distinguish folded arms and a face that could only be interpreted as angry. It was his old friend, John. Marcus averted his eyes, developing a weird interest in the white glossy ceiling of the ATV.
“You’re a stupid bastard!” was all John said before he stalked away.
Jas, Aggie and John’s son, Matt, watched the scene, each of them looking equally baffled.
“Sorry Dad, I didn’t think he’d react like that,” Jas said, looking down at her feet. “He said he wanted to see you, not verbally abuse you. I’ll go and talk to him.”
~
The major insisted that people eat something before they headed out again. His men had found a little wooded area, not far from the vehicles.
Hyde barely thought about the food. She felt the need to stay by Marcus’s side. Her heart had given in to love and wouldn’t allow her stay away from him for too long. She still made a weak effort to persuade herself that she felt this need only because he was injured, but no matter how hard she fought, this place by his side was the right one; her heart would not be fooled by attempted rationalities.
Marcus didn’t look good. His skin was pale, almost grey and glistening behind thousands of tiny sweat drops. Sometimes he opened his eyes, only to drift out of consciousness a moment later. Any strength he had left seemed to be slowly seeping from his body. The fear that he wouldn’t make it to London alive mixed with the hope that she was wrong had put her into an unstable emotional state.
The major hooked his head around the door of the ATV and cleared his throat.
Hyde left Marcus’s side and jumped down from the vehicle to salute her superior.
“At ease.”
Hyde complied, widening her legs to shoulder width and placing her hands behind her back.
“How is the patient?” he asked, his tone indifferent.
“He appears to be stable, Sir, but I don’t know for how long. We need to get him to a proper hospital, and soon.”
Not once did she make eye contact with her superior. She stared straight ahead, fearing that he would see right through her and read the emotion in her eyes.
“We will be moving out again once we’ve fed everyone. I suggest you join the others, Corporal.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Fall out. I will look after the patient.”
She drew her body rigid again and saluted before walking off to find the others, her mind full of discontent.
~
Hyde pushed her way through the bushes that separated her from the others and the first thing she saw was Judd being taunted by the two soldiers charged with guarding him. They had taken to poking him and pushing their hands in his face. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but based on their body language, it wasn’t anything pleasant. But she didn’t care what happened to him, not after what he’d done to her.
She turned away and scoured the wooded area, searching for Jas and the others. It didn’t take her long to find them. They had huddled together, avoiding the group of survivors from the scavenger encampment. It was understandable that they would keep their distance; in the climate of the new and harsh world, it was a struggle to trust anyone.
To Hyde’s disapproval she noticed many people were acting as if they hadn’t been fed in a week. Food was devoured with voracious enthusiasm and water drank without concern for conservation. Hyde was quite hungry herself, but she chose to maintain some sense of decorum. Yes, the food was only army ration packs, but when you’re hungry, any food will do.
After having her share of the victuals, Hyde grabbed a half-full bottle of water and turned to Jas. “I have to go to your father. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Jas smiled and nodded her understanding. “Thanks for seeing to him, Cat.”
Hyde stared over her shoulder at Jas. Cat? I haven’t been called that since Dad.... God, I miss him. The corporal’s eyes welled up.
~
Around half an hour had passed, and the major, along with his subordinates had begun to round everybody up, almost treating them like a herd of sheep as they were guided to the All-Terrain Vehicles to resume their journey. Jas, Aggie and the rest of the group had already made their way out of the woodland surrounding, wanting to get back to Marcus.
Hyde watched as her friends left the clearing, then turned to see what was going on with Judd in the background. In some sick, twisted way she felt sorry for him. But in no way, was she going to run to his rescue. As far as she was concerned, he deserved everything that had been thrown at him, and had no intention of relieving him of his misery.
The two privates hovering over him, picked him up and dragged him towards the ATVs.
Upon reaching the transport, Judd was hauled into the vehicle by another two soldiers who’d been waiting for the last few to arrive.
“I don’t want to hear a peep from you, Captain,” one of the soldiers said as he looked down on Judd.
Noticing the look of disdain on the private’s face, Hyde stepped up into the vehicle, giving him a look of warning. “No harm is to come to him,” she said. “I want to see his eyes when the bullet hits between them.”
“You are not in charge here, Corporal.” A muffled voice came from the driver’s compartment. Hyde clammed up, saying nothing in reply, as the transport juddered into action.
CHAPTER 31
The rest of the journey to London was disruption free, which suited Hyde down to the ground, she’d had enough, and wanted to be done with it all. She craved a nice, easy hand-over at the end of a stressful mission. From this moment forward, she would be washed clean of this god-forsaken mission: free to live the rest of her life in peace. That’s all she had ever wanted. She had seen enough bloodshed and death to last a lifetime, and she no longer wanted any part of it. She had fulfilled her duty to both her country, and her father. It was time to start a new chapter in her life... one that didn’t involve the army and the violence and chaos that it brought with it. She wanted a family, and the peace of mind that went with having a normal life. She wanted her friends around her, Jas, Marcus, Aggie... all the people she knew she could depend upon and trust. Staring at Jas brought a smile to her face.
Jas stared down at Judd as he began
to stir. He let out a muffled groan and shifted his position. She gazed down at his apparent discomfort with unfiltered glee, making her hatred for him visible to all.
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t do it,” Hyde snapped.
Jas turned to her, furrowing her brow.
Hyde shook her head in response.
Tutting, Jas shifted her gaze to face the opposite side of the ATV.
Sergeant Jackson, who had sat silently at the end of the opposite bench, looked at the two women and spoke for the first time since they’d set off from Loughborough.
“Well, people, we’re nearly there, or should be.” He opened the flap that looked into the driver’s cab. “Where are we at, Sir? Are we close?”
The major glanced over his shoulder and answered the sergeant’s question.
“We have just passed a sign saying ten miles to London.”
“Thank you, Sir.” The flap was closed again, and Jackson smiled at the rest of the passengers. “You heard that, right? We have very little travel time left before reaching London, then a further forty minutes to get to the barracks, and the only real bomb shelter left. We will drop you off once we reach the outskirts and head back to retrieve the others. We should be situated at the shelter within the next three hours.”
Hyde felt a warm sensation spreading through her body; she was excited by the fact that they were so close to finishing the disastrous mission, but also overwhelmed by it all. The flood of emotion pushed its way through, and she felt the need to collapse and cry.
Jas slid closer and pulled her into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry, I feel so weak,” Hyde said, pushing Jas away to wipe her face dry of tears. “You’ll never see that again. I’m better than this.”
“You’re human,” Jas said. “It’s okay to cry.” She hooked her finger under Hyde’s chin and lifted it to look into her eyes. “And don’t give me all that crap about being a soldier. That’s all bollocks. You cry if you need to cry.”
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